Bob's New Cafe
by aurghhh
Summary: As she deals with the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, Emily has another chance to make it to Stanford and be with Paige, but she must decide whether she can face the chance of more disappointment. (Conclusion to "Starting Over", "Three Dates" and "The only one that feels like home")
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Takes place about a year after "The only one that feels like home". Emily and Paige are back together, but Emily is at Danby and Paige is at Stanford. This story is from Emily's point of view. There will be three chapters.

This is the final story (for now at least) in the series "Starting Over", "Three Dates" and "The only one that feels like home". It's a bit original character heavy, but still very much a Paily story. I hope you like it.

* * *

_Hi Vicki,_

_How are things over in NZ? Are you and Lin settling in OK? You must be so excited, and I guess it would be nice for you to be back home. I hope Lin isn't too homesick, though I suppose you'll be able to comfort her. ;)_

_Seriously though, I am so happy for the two of you._

_I've been back to the cafe a couple of times since you left. I still go every week, though it's strange there now without you. _

_I'm not just writing to check in, though. As it turns out, I have some very happy news. I wish I could tell you in person, but email will have to do as I really want to share this with you now..._

* * *

Two things happened to Emily that day. One seemed important, the other trivial, but both would acquire their own significance in her life.

That afternoon she got a call from Paige.

"Em, Em," she was saying. "I've looked at the scholarships. You're still eligible."

Soon Paige had sent her a link and Emily was busily reading through a lot of fine print. Paige was right, at least partly. Emily still had a chance, but she would need to ramp her times up. If she did, if she could be the fastest on her team, fastest in the region, then she would have a chance at at the scholarship, a chance at transferring from the Danby swim program to Stanford.

Emily had resisted thinking about this for so long, because there was little hope for her. This year things had changed a little, though. She was in training at Danby now, and it was coming back to her. The feel for the water, her rhythm, and most of all the love of swimming. She wasn't in any danger of breaking records, but swimming was a real part of her life again, not just a reminder of what she had missed out on.

Still, Emily held back. She had accepted the situation she found herself in, so part of her wanted to leave it at that. Everything that had happened in her senior year of high school was done, but she had managed to recover the most important thing to her, her love for Paige. The rest was just life, and maybe a little part of her thought this was the price she had to pay, should pay, for her mistakes. She wouldn't let herself dream it was all going to be OK, that everything could be fixed. Even the loneliness that struck her sometimes was just a reminder of the love she and Paige shared. In a little over two more years, they could be together. They could start again.

So what did this mean? This wall of words and technicalities gave her a chance, but she wasn't sure if she should take it. She knew she could cope with the time away from Paige. She wasn't as sure how she would fare if tried and fell short again.

* * *

That evening she was still mulling over the choice she faced, not really coming any closer to deciding, more just getting herself worried that she had to make the decision soon. She went for a walk and decided to pick up some food on her way home.

There was a group of shops just off campus, and among them were a number of small restaurants with different styles of food, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Italian. As Emily walked past she decided to try one she hadn't been to before, but her mind was still elsewhere, so she just chose a door and walked in.

She found herself in Bob's New Cafe, which promised "Authentic Singaporean Cuisine". It was small to the point of cramped, with about a dozen tables, the type that really only fit two but are often pressed into service to accommodate four, and clusters of plastic chairs around them. The walls had pictures of various dishes, presumably Singaporean but from their presentation unlikely to be what she was served. Apart from that the room was bare. The tables were empty, and the counter had just a small bundle of menus.

Behind the counter stood a smiling young woman, Emily guessed not much older than her.

"Good evening," the waitress said cheerily. "Would you like a menu?"

"Yes please," Emily responded, and took the one offered.

"Would you like to eat here or get takeout?" the waitress asked.

Emily couldn't pick her accent. Maybe Australian, or South African even.

"Takeout, thanks," Emily replied.

The young woman was strikingly pretty, almost as tall as Emily, and thin, with a long face but a wide smile that showed off a set of dazzlingly white teeth. She had long, black, curly hair which was mostly pulled back in a messy ponytail, but some was left hanging in front of her face, partially obscuring her dark brown eyes. She was dressed entirely in black, but wearing a cardigan with sparkly silver thread running through it.

Emily knew what it was like to do this sort of work, how that smile began to ache as the hours wore on, but somehow the girl serving her tonight seemed happy without it being forced. Emily wished she knew how to do that.

The menu was short. A few noodle dishes, a handful of "House specialties" and, for some reason, hamburgers. Emily wasn't sure what to order.

"Is there anything you'd recommend?" Emily asked.

"The Char Kway Teow is fantastic," the waitress gushed. "That's my personal favorite."

"OK, I'll try that then," Emily responded. "I don't think I've ever had that before, but I wanted to try something new."

"Wonderful," the waitress said, then turned and poked her head around the corner before calling out "Char Kway Teow, please!"

She turned back to Emily, smiling as if she was genuinely happy to be introducing someone to her favorite dish. Maybe she was.

Emily paid for the meal, and not long afterwards a boy who looked like he was probably still at school emerged and presented her with her dinner in a plastic container, a plastic bag wrapped neatly around it.

"Here you go," he said.

"Have a _really_ great night," the waitress added.

"Thank you," Emily replied.

As she walked back to her dorm, she thought more about whether she should try for the scholarship, but made little progress, and now she was being distracted by the spicy aroma coming from the bag she was carrying. By the time she arrived in her room she just wanted to eat.

She sat down and unwrapped her meal. She studied it for a moment, then tried a mouthful. It was delicious. She had some more, then had to pause to appreciate the flavor. It was incredibly good. She would definitely be going back there.

* * *

It took Emily two days to decide. Once she had she called Paige.

"I'm going to try for it," she announced.

"That's great, Em," Paige replied. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'd say I've only got a 50-50 chance, the way my times are at the moment," Emily elaborated. "I'm improving, but I lost a lot of time. I'll keep training, keep working on it, and see how I go."

"There is one important thing you have to remember, though," Paige began.

"What's that?" Emily asked.

"I love you," Paige explained.

Emily smiled.

"I love you too," she said.

So Emily kept up her training, as she said she would. Her coach was good, though she knew she would be getting better if she was at Stanford. Paige gave her tips when she could, things she had learned in her own training, but Emily had to make the best of her own circumstances.

She didn't like putting pressure on herself like this, but she knew what was at stake and there was no way around it. If Emily could improve enough to be winning races at regional level she would be in with a chance to get into Stanford. If she couldn't improve enough she would be staying at Danby, spending two more years living on the opposite coast to Paige.

Meets were different at college to high school, though. Emily had been one of the fastest swimmers in the group of schools that Rosewood High competed against, but every other girl she was racing now could say the same thing, and most of them hadn't taken time out for injury, let alone had to deal with the kind of stress Emily had faced in her life. Here, she was just another swimmer.

She had a choice. She could stick to her freestyle, which had always been her strongest stroke, but which was also the most popular, or she could switch to butterfly, a stroke she had tried recently and had picked up fairly quickly. Changing to butterfly would mean more work to get herself to a competitive level but potentially less competition when she did.

She spoke to her coach and suggested she might like to try butterfly, and soon she got to work training. She was still not sure if she was doing the right thing, but she swam every lap picturing Paige there, cheering her on, waiting for her.

* * *

Bob's New Cafe became a regular feature for Emily around this time. She went there at least once a week, trying various dishes - Chicken Rice, Mee Goreng, Beef Rendang - sometimes staying to eat there, sometimes going back to her room.

The place could get busy at times, usually on Friday and Saturday nights, when it filled up suddenly, with a number of families and couples all turning up around 6:00 and leaving by 8:00. They all seemed to know each other, and there was talk and laughter between the tables, with children running around the room, getting under the feet of anyone walking through.

Other times, in fact pretty much any other time, the cafe was almost empty. One or two diners might be there, students like Emily or sometimes older couples, but as often as not it was empty save for people arriving to collect their takeout orders.

Whenever Emily went, she would always be greeted by the same waitress.

"Hello," she would say enthusiastically when Emily came in. "It's great to see you again."

Sometimes they would talk as Emily waited for her order.

"My name's Vicki, by the way," she said one night. "Well, Victoria actually, but everyone calls me Vicki except my mum."

"I'm Emily," Emily responded.

"Are you a student at Danby?" Vicki asked.

"Yes, I'm a Sophomore," Emily replied.

"What are you majoring in?" Vicki asked.

"Biology," Emily answered.

"That's terrific," Vicki responded, and with that Emily's order arrived.

"See you again soon," Vicki called as Emily left.

"Definitely," Emily agreed.

The cafe was open five nights a week, and Vicki seemed to be there every night as far as Emily could tell, greeting new arrivals, handing out menus, and taking orders. Sometime she also saw the younger boy, who Vicki introduced as Tom, and whose job seemed to be to bring the meals out from the kitchen.

Sometimes there was another girl there too, around the same age as Vicki, but shorter and stockier, with remarkably complicated hair, short but layered and shaped, blond on top over black at the base. She was only there on quiet nights, but would always step back when a customer came in, and Vicki never introduced her. Emily got the impression this girl didn't actually work there, instead she and Vicki seemed to talk in whispers and quiet giggles when nothing else was happening.

She might have just been a friend of Vicki's, but Emily started to wonder if it was more than that from the smiles and meaningful glances they exchanged. She thought that maybe she was reading too much into the situation, but each time she saw them together she couldn't help but notice the slightly conspiratorial air they had around them.

* * *

Almost every day Emily was up early to practice. She swam lap after lap, working at making her motion in the water as smooth, natural and easy as possible. She was training her arms and her legs so they would no longer require direction, but could move by muscle memory alone.

She enjoyed this. There was something relaxing about it, just performing the same movements over and over again, going up and down the pool. Her mind let go of everything when she trained, until her entire world was the line she followed, the breaths she took, the count of the strokes and the perfect turn at the end of each lap. Everything else fell away. Her times were improving, but that was something she only thought about once she was out of the pool.

Out of the water, her life revolved around fractions of seconds and the incremental improvements that brought her closer to her target, and closer to Paige. Her coach would scrutinize her technique and she would try to absorb the barrage of words coming at her. When she went out for a coffee with friends they would talk times and training, and news of who had swum a PB. When she was in the shower she would think of how she had to meet her next goal. It was exhausting, but it made the gentle routine of swimming a relief.

Each time she spoke to Paige she would report on her improvements.

"Em, I'm really proud of you," Paige would say, but Emily could sense the hesitancy in her voice. Paige knew why Emily was telling her those times, stressing the improvements, promising more to come. Paige knew Emily was doing this to be with her, and what Emily was putting herself through.

"We'll make it whatever happens," Paige said one night on the phone, trying to make her words an affirmation, but unable to keep herself from asking "You know that, don't you?"

"I know," Emily said.

Emily didn't want to think about that, though. She wanted to get the scholarship. She wanted to be with Paige.

* * *

Emily took Lakhsmi and Amber to Bob's New Cafe for dinner one evening, pretty much on a whim. They had been talking together on campus and felt like going out, and Emily wanted to introduce them to her new favorite restaurant.

When they arrived Vicki was there, as always.

"Emily, you've brought some friends," Vicki noted enthusiastically.

"Yes, this is Lakhsmi and Amber," Emily responded. "Guys, this is Vicki."

"It's lovely to meet you," Vicki said, shaking hands with each of them in turn.

"And It's lovely to meet you too," Lakhsmi replied. "Emily speaks highly of both your cuisine and your friendly service."

"Thank you," Vicki said, leading them to one of the many available tables. "Emily is one of our regulars here, practically part of the family."

As they sat down Vicki handed out the menus.

"Here you go," she said casually.

"You have a lovely accent," Lakhsmi said. "Are you from New Zealand?"

"I am indeed," Vicki replied. "I've been here for about six months."

"New Zealand is beautiful," Lakhsmi enthused. "I have been there only once, with my family when I was a little girl, but I do remember being captivated."

"It is," Vicki agree. "I am missing it quite a lot, but it's been such a fantastic opportunity coming to America."

"Emily didn't tell us you were a Kiwi," Lakhsmi noted.

"A what?" Emily asked, a little puzzled. Vicki just smiled.

"Since Emily has been somewhat remiss in her inquiries, I have to ask something else," Lakhsmi added. "Who is Bob, and what happened to his old cafe?"

"Bob is my Uncle Robert," Vicki explained. "He's my father's older brother. The two of them left Singapore at about the same time, but Dad went to New Zealand while Uncle Robert went to the US and ended up here. I wanted to get away for a year before starting Uni so Dad organized for me come over here."

"That is very fortuitous," Lakhsmi said. "And the old cafe?"

"The original Bob's Cafe was around the corner," Vicki explained. "It was a slightly bigger building, but a bit out of the way, so he moved here."

"See Emily," Lakhsmi said teasingly. "These are the things you learn when you ask questions."

"I will let you all decide what you want," Vicki announced, and left them studying their menus.

This was the first time Emily had brought someone else to the cafe, and she was a little nervous as to whether they would like it. She needed have worried, as the food was wonderful. The three of them talked up a storm, or rather Lakhsmi and Emily did, while Amber mostly listened. Amber seemed happy with this, however, so Emily didn't try to force her into conversation.

Occasionally Lakhsmi would call Vicki over for more questions. How different was life in New Zealand, had she ever been to Singapore to see her family there, which she had, and how long she would be in Philadelphia. Vicki's answer to the last question was hesitant. "Just a few more months," she said.

For most of the night the three of them had the place to themselves. It was a Thursday night and the place was quiet. The only other customers were there to collect orders.

Lakhsmi and Amber were being as affectionate as usual, which is very for Lakhsmi and not so much for not so much for Amber. This was just the difference in their personalities, though. Lakhsmi would often casually, almost absentmindedly, reach out and put her hand on Amber's shoulder or forearm, or maybe play with her girlfriend's ponytail while talking to Emily. While Amber rarely reciprocated, at least from what Emily saw, she clearly enjoyed the attention.

At one point Emily noticed Vicki watching them, and as well as Vicki's usual smile, Emily saw a look flash across Vicki's face, a look of recognition.

Not long before they finished their meals, Vicki's friend, or possibly girlfriend, arrived. She went straight to the area behind the counter, and waited in the doorway between the counter and the office area while Vicki busied herself tidying up.

Vicki seemed to be tinkering with something behind the counter, and from the frustrated grunts Emily could hear, whatever it was seemed to not be cooperating.

"It's knackered," Vicki said, seemingly to herself.

At this point the other girl started laughing raucously before quickly covering her mouth as she looked around nervously.

"I reckon it's dodgy, eh cuz?" she said, in an exaggerated New Zealand accent.

"Yeah, it's munted," Vicki agreed.

"Ah well, you can't help bad luck," her friend added.

"You taking the piss?" Vicki asked. For a moment Emily thought she sounded angry, but they both laughed. "You're a dag," Vicki added, in a more playful voice.

Emily wanted to know more about these two, but this wasn't the time to ask.

Still, it was an enjoyable evening, even if it did remind Emily of her own love, so far away. For a moment she pictured Paige out somewhere with friends, maybe with another couple also in love, all of them laughing, having a good time. Emily wondered if Paige was feeling just that little bit alone despite the company, like she was. She wondered if Paige was thinking of her, too.

She probably was.

* * *

Emily was nervous. She always was before a race, but this time was special. She had made it to the final, but as much as her coach and her teammates were telling her what an achievement this was, Emily had to win. This was a divisional final, and if she won this, she would have a chance.

One other swimmer had recorded a faster time than her in the heats, a girl from UPenn, Gabrielle. Emily had seen her swim and she was fast, with a powerful kick. Emily knew she would have to push herself, and even then she might not make it.

Before a race Emily usually just looked straight ahead, thinking about the water, about her stroke, about how she was going to swim. This time she did something different, she let herself look over to the next lane, where her main opponent was also preparing herself. As she did, Gabrielle looked up at her, and just smiled, almost encouragingly. Emily couldn't help but smile back.

Emily knew what she needed to do. She needed to swim.

The pre-race rituals went as they always did, and soon Emily was poised on the blocks, ready to go.

When the starter's horn went off, Emily dove into the water, kicking underwater to get as fast a start as she could before finally emerging. Already she had drawn ahead of most of the field, except for the swimmer beside her. The two of them were level, and remained so as they reached then end of the first lap.

They turned together, but as they started back up the pool Gabrielle was suddenly an arm's length ahead. Emily didn't try to catch up at this yet, instead sticking with her own rhythm, but she could feel the power of the other girl's stroke, and especially her kick, in the water. By the end of the second lap Emily was half a body length behind.

Turning into the third lap, Emily was holding her position, but unable to reduce the margin. Her opponent was too strong. Emily tried to just focus on her own stroke, but she could feel Stanford slipping away. Another swimmer was catching up to them as well, over in lane six. Emily had no choice but to push harder.

They were on the final lap now. Gabrielle was still ahead, and only going stronger. She started to pull away from Emily, and as she did the swimmer in lane six was drawing level.

Emily let go. She was feeling strong, so she just swam. The water felt good, and for a moment Emily could just enjoy herself as she sped through it. She knew she wouldn't win though.

She touched the end of the pool and looked up. Third. Less than half a second behind, but still third. It took her a while to realize she had just swum a personal best.

In the lane next to her, Gabrielle was ecstatic. Emily reached over and hugged her.

Emily looked back up at the board again. Half a second. It hardly seemed possible that such a small moment in time could make so much of a difference, but it had. Half a second had taken away her second chance at the dream she and Paige had created, the dream of being together at Stanford.

She had tried, but it wasn't enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily went over the conversation again and again in her head.

_"You still did really well, Em," Paige said. "I'm proud of you."_

_"It wasn't good enough," Emily responded._

Somehow it all weighed so heavily on her now. The months apart, the days when she couldn't talk to Paige, the evenings with friends, wishing the girl she loved could be with her too, the nights all alone. Suddenly it felt so long since they had been together, and an eternity until they would finally be reunited.

Emily had allowed herself to hope, and looking back she had put so much pressure on herself to achieve what was always a long shot.

She had tried.

She had failed.

_"Em, we can make it," Paige assured her._

_"I know," Emily replied._

She knew she had to say that. After all, what was the alternative? Giving up. What would that even mean? She didn't want to think of any future other than one with Paige, but neither could she picture herself happily spending their time apart.

It had been over a year since they had started their relationship again, and already she was struggling to cope. It would be twice as long before they finished their study, and even then who knew how things would turn out. What if they still couldn't be together?

Emily couldn't give up, but she had lost the picture she had always carried in her head of how she would get through their time apart.

_"Don't be so hard on yourself," Paige pleaded. "You'll be OK, you just need some time to get over the disappointment."_

_"It's not just going to go away," Emily protested._

_"I'm just…" Paige tried to explain, but Emily couldn't listen._

_"I know what you're trying to do," Emily snapped, "and it's not helping. I don't need soothing platitudes, I need a way for us to be together."_

_"Em," Paige began, her voice firmer than before._

_"I'm sorry," Emily interrupted, then hung up._

Now she just felt even worse. She heard those words again, and listened to herself saying them, hoping that this time it would go differently, she would say the right thing, she would stop herself. But she never did.

All she could do now was cry.

As she lay in bed, sobbing, she knew what she needed. She needed Paige there with her to hold her close.

She reached out to her phone instead.

The screen looked blurry, but she knew that was just her tears.

"I am so sorry," she typed, then clicked 'Send'.

The room was dark as she stared at her phone. She imagined how Paige must be feeling. Was she hurt? Angry? Maybe she was just feeling lonely too.

A reply appeared.

"I know. We'll talk again when you're ready."

* * *

For once Vicki's cheerful greeting wasn't what Emily needed, but food was. Emily made her order with as few words as possible.

"Your friends were really nice," Vicki said as they waited.

The cafe was empty, and Emily felt she had no place to hide.

"Yes," Emily replied.

"I hope they liked it here," Vicki added.

"They did," Emily confirmed.

"Great," Vicki replied. "Well, they're welcome back any time."

Emily's order arrived. She took it and left.

* * *

"Oh God, Paige, I feel so bad," Emily said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"I understand," Paige replied. "It did hurt though."

"I know," Emily agreed. "And I'm really sorry."

"Thank you," Paige said. "Now, what do you need now - it will all be OK, feel my pain, or let's make a plan?"

"Feel my pain, I'm afraid," Emily responded.

"OK, I can do that," Paige agreed.

"I'm sorry if I'm all 'me, me, me' here," Emily said. "You must be disappointed too."

"I hadn't…" Paige paused for a moment before continuing. "I only ever thought it was a possibility. I guess I wasn't counting on it as much as you were. I really do think you did very well to get that close."

"Thanks," Emily said. "I guess I just lost hope for a moment there."

"I thought so," Paige said. "But Em, even if you don't have hope, you'll always have me."

Emily started to cry.

"Thank you," she said. "That's beautiful."

* * *

Emily got back into her routine over the next few weeks. Study, swimming, work, socializing, and lots of time on the phone or skype with Paige. She was busy, and her classes were getting more intense, but the world hadn't changed.

She had another visit from Paige to look forward to, after exams. In the meantime, she had enough to do to keep her occupied.

Another routine she got into around this time was Singaporean every Thursday night, usually takeout. One night she stayed, however, and she and Vicki got into conversation, having the place to themselves.

"So are your friends coming back?" Vicki asked.

"Um, I'll invite them along again soon," Emily replied.

"They were a couple, right?" Vicki asked.

"Yes, they are," Emily replied. "Lakhsmi is actually my ex. I don't know if that's strange, but we managed to stay friends."

"That's great," Vicki said, smiling at the idea. "I mean, if that works out for you it's really nice."

"Can I ask you a question?" Emily asked.

"Sure," Vicki replied.

"That girl who comes in sometimes," Emily began. "Are the two of you just friends, or more?"

Vicki's face changed from smiling to… a kind of dreamier smile.

"You noticed," she replied. "That's Lin. I'll introduce you to her next time she's here. She's at Danby too. She comes after classes, but some nights she has wrestling practice. She's so sweet."

"She does wrestling?" Emily said.

"Yeah, it's really cool," Vicki replied. "I go along and watch her sometimes. I didn't get it at first. I mean, they just looked they were rolling around on the floor together. Some of those holds, like, I didn't know if I should be getting jealous, you know?" She flashed Emily a quick grin. "I like it now, though. It's all strategic, like chess or something."

"Chess?" Emily asked, chuckling at the comparison.

"You know what I mean," Vicki replied, laughing a little too. "She's so strong, too. She's shorter than me, but she can bench press well over my body weight."

"How long have you two been together?" Emily asked.

"A few months now," Vicki replied, pulling up a chair and sitting across from Emily. "We met not long after I moved here. She came in a couple of times, then she just asked me out."

"That's lovely," Emily said.

"Yeah, we barely knew each other," Vicki added. "She said later she just decided to take a chance. Apparently it was because I smiled each time she came in the cafe."

"You smile at everyone," Emily pointed out.

"I know, but she didn't know that," Vicki responded. "She thought it was all for her, and when she asked me out I thought she seemed nice, so I said yes and, yeah, it was choice. She's a bit of a dag, but she was totally romantic."

"A 'dag'?" Emily asked. She heard Vicki use the term before and was curious.

"Oh, um, it's hard to translate," Vicki explained. "Maybe, I don't know, goofy or something like that. Fun. Unpretentious."

"So did you come here looking for love?" Emily asked.

"Yeah-nah, I actually had a boyfriend back in New Zealand, but I kind of dumped him just before I left," Vicki explained. "Not because I was leaving, I'd just… kind of lost interest, I guess. I felt bad, but we didn't really click. I figured this was a good time to get away from everything and just be by myself for a while. I didn't expect to meet someone so quickly."

"Sometimes things just happen," Emily said. "Maybe luck was on your side."

"Yeah," Vicki agreed. "So what about you?. Do you have someone special?"

"I do," Emily replied. "But… she's a long way away right now."

Emily paused for a moment. Vicki didn't ask anything else, and Emily started to feel awkward. It was still a sensitive subject, but the other girl had just opened up to her.

"I have a girlfriend, her name is Paige, we've been together for a while," Emily continued. "But, she's over at Stanford, and I'm here."

"That must be hard," Vicki said.

"It is," Emily agreed. "I've… been missing her a lot recently."

"I'm sorry," Vicki said. "Will you get to see her again soon?"

"A few weeks," Emily replied. "She comes back when she can, or I go over there sometimes. We still talk a lot, but it's not the same."

"She must be worth it," Vicki said.

"She is," Emily agreed.

They kept talking while Emily ate her dinner. Vicki got herself something from the kitchen too. It wasn't until the chef left and Vicki started cleaning up that Emily realized what time it was.

"Do you want a lift back to campus?" Vicki asked.

"It's not far to walk," Emily replied.

"It's late," Vicki pointed out. "Anyway, I'm happy to. If you want to hold on about ten minutes we can go."

Emily agreed, and helped Vicki line up the tables and chairs. Emily could see Vicki had a routine, and once everything was in place Vicki turned the lights off, then they went outside and Vicki locked up

Vicki's car was parked outside, just an old Honda. As they could get in Vicki apologized for the mess, but Emily didn't think it was so bad.

The trip was quick, less than five minutes.

"When I started driving here, like, a few times I almost forgot you guys drive on the right," Vicki announced cheerily.

Emily suddenly became a more attentive passenger, but the ride was uneventful.

"How long are you staying here?" Emily asked, as they pulled up in the dorm car park.

"Another few months," Vicki replied.

"Then you go back to New Zealand?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," Vicki confirmed.

Emily started processing the implications of that, but didn't say anything. Vicki parked and stopped the engine. It was silent now.

"I know," Vicki said, responding to an unasked question. "I've just met someone, fallen in love, and soon I have to go home, and she has to stay here."

"I'm sorry," Emily said.

"I think it will be too far to do what you're doing," Vicki continued. "I really admire you, but I just don't think it would work for Lin and I. I… It's frustrating, because when I left New Zealand I had plans. I would work for a year in America, travel, be independent, then come back home, go to Uni again and get on with my life. I figured I'd meet someone then. Now I've met someone, but all those plans won't work anymore."

Emily didn't know what to say. Vicki was still smiling, but there was a sadness in her eyes.

"This probably sounds silly," Vicki added. "I'm still young, and, really, we've only just met. I shouldn't even be thinking about changing everything for her, but I love her. I do."

"It's not silly," Emily responded. "I understand. I had dreams about the future for Paige and I. They didn't all work out the way I wanted, but I love her too much to let go. If you feel that way about Lin you should try, try anything. You can still find a way."

"Thank you," Vicki said.

Emily wanted to reach out and hug her, but that felt too familiar, even despite the conversation they had just had. Instead she just smiled and said "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," Vicki agreed.

* * *

The next few weeks were busy with final assignments and exam preparation. Emily was so focused it kept her mind off the long term. She would talk to Paige, but mostly about how much she had to do, how difficult her genetics paper was, how her times were coming along, things like that. And when Paige would be coming to visit.

Paige finished exams about a week earlier than Emily, so she would be in Rosewood for a few days before they could see each other.

"We could just go out one night," Emily suggested. "Maybe two."

"I think that's the issue right there," Paige pointed out.

"You're right," Emily conceded, albeit reluctantly.

Emily was getting excited though.

The next time Emily was at the cafe Vicki was true to her word and introduced her to Lin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lin said, holding out her hand and giving Emily the firmest handshake she had had in a while.

"You too," Emily said.

Lin had one obvious trait in common with Vicki, a seemingly permanent smile on her face. She was solid rather than slender, with a round face rather than long, but appeared to be as indefatigably cheerful as her girlfriend.

"Vic tells me you're a swimmer," Lin said.

"I am indeed," Emily confirmed. "And I hear you're a wrestler."

"It's awesome," Lin said, enthusiastically. "I always wanted to since I saw it at the Olympics when I was little. I used to practice on my brothers when I was growing up."

"Do any of them do wrestling too?" Emily asked.

"Not any more," Lin cheerfully answered.

They chatted away for some time, comparing training regimens for their respective sports, swapping stories of eccentric or overbearing coaches, and sharing tips on fitting study in between their sporting endeavors. Lin had plans apart from her wrestling, and was using her sports scholarship to also get the Math degree she wanted, though she hadn't yet pinned down her future career.

All the time they talked, Vicki looked on with pride in her girlfriend.

* * *

Once Emily's exams were over she got to see Paige again, and while their time together would never be enough, it was a relief from the loneliness. Paige drove up to Danby the afternoon of Emily's last exam. Emily was exhausted, but she didn't care. Seeing the girl she loved again was all the recovery she needed.

She met Paige in the entrance hall to her dorm, where they hugged, and Emily cried. Once they were back in her room she couldn't shake the feeling there was something she needed to say to Paige, though she didn't know what it was.

"I've missed you so much," Emily began. "I'm sorry if I've been… I don't know, erratic."

"I understand," Paige responded. "I've missed you too."

"You've handled it better than I have," Emily pointed out.

"It's not…," Paige began, before hesitating.

"It's OK," Emily said.

"I feel bad," Paige explained. "I think I put too much pressure on you by telling you about the scholarship."

"You didn't put any pressure on me," Emily assured her. "I did that."

They kissed. The kiss was soft and warm, and Emily could have easily lost herself in it, but she wanted to be practical. She tried to stop to organize dinner, but neither of them really wanted to go anywhere else. Emily told Paige about the cafe, and how it had takeout, but once she admitted it was open until ten Paige just smiled and Emily gave up. She grabbed Paige and kissed her again. Dinner would come second.

They made love for the first time in far too long. Emily was overwhelmed by the touch of Paige's body, the experience of being with her lover again, the taste of Paige's mouth, the feeling of her tongue. She was breathing Paige's breath, feeling her heartbeat. Their bodies joined together, as their hearts always were.

But as transcendent as the sensation of physically and intimately reuniting with her girlfriend was, they did also need to eat, so at 9:30 Emily called the cafe to make an order, which they then headed over to collect.

Vicki was smiling, as always, when they arrived, and looked intrigued by Emily bringing a companion.

"Oh, Vicki, this is Paige," Emily said. "Paige, this is Vicki."

"Paige! You've come all this way," Vicki responded with delight. "It's lovely to meet you."

Paige was a little nonplussed, and Emily realized she hadn't told Paige that she and Vicki had become friends.

"Did you want to eat here?" Vicki suggested. "It's not too late."

"Ah, we're happy with takeout," Emily responded.

"Yes, of course you are," Vicki said.

Every now and then Emily would be out somewhere and suddenly find herself worrying that people somehow knew that she had just been having sex. This was one of those occasions.

"But we'll come back another time," Emily added.

"That would be lovely," Vicki said. "Enjoy your evening."

* * *

Paige only had two weeks before she had to return to Stanford. She had a longer break from study, but not from training. It was frustrating to wait so long and still get so little time together, so they made the best of the time they had.

While they were in Rosewood they spent some time at the Fields house, and some time at the McCullers house, as their parents were keen to see them again. Helen McCullers doted on Emily, which Paige found embarrassing but Emily found endearing. Pam and Wayne weren't much different with Paige.

Both sets of parents had dropped the open door rule when their daughter's girlfriend was sleeping over, but it was still somewhat awkward, so Paige had also arranged to spend some time minding Caitlin's apartment while she was away.

Emily was fascinated by the place, especially Caitlin's artwork which filled the living room. The paintings were in various states of completion, and were a mix of fairly standard landscapes, abstract works, collages with various print media, and darker works, pictures of everyday objects which Caitlin had somehow made appears sinister. These works gave Emily the creeps if she had to get up in the middle of the night.

"Why is that easel facing the wall?" Paige asked one time.

"Because I was going to the bathroom and a rubber duck with glowing red eyes was watching me," Emily explained, which was true.

Mostly, though, the apartment gave them privacy. For over a week they could be as affectionate and intimate as they liked. One day they spent almost the entire day naked, laying together in bed, or curled up on the couch. When Emily got a phone call from Hanna that day she couldn't work out why Paige was laughing at her, until she noticed herself covering up, as if Hanna could see her.

It wasn't just the sex though. They also had time to talk, and as they did Emily realized how focused on herself she had been these last few weeks. Paige had mentioned having another swim meet and Emily hadn't even asked about it. Paige even needed some convincing to tell Emily.

"It's OK, remember," Emily assured her. "I like hearing about how you've gone. I'm sorry I've been caught up in my own stuff."

"You sure?" Paige asked.

"Yes," Emily confirmed. "Now tell me how you went."

"It was really good," Paige began. "I got a new PB. I felt like I was gliding along on top of the water, not having to pull myself through it. I enjoyed it so much."

"Wow, that's fantastic," Emily responded. "How much?"

"Over half a second," Paige replied.

"Oh my God, that is impressive," Emily said.

Paige relaxed a little, and was smiling now. Somehow it helped Emily to know how well things were going for Paige. It made her own burdens easier.

"I won too," Paige added.

"You won?" Emily asked. Paige had been in the program for a while, but she was up against older, more experienced swimmers.

"Yeah," Paige confirmed. "The 100… and 200."

Emily couldn't contain herself now. She threw her arms around Paige and hugged her tight. She was so proud of her girl.

"I can't believe you're already winning at regional meets," Emily said.

"Ah, actually it was state," Paige said. "It was the state championships."

Emily's mouth fell open. She spent the rest of the day beaming with pride at Paige's achievement.

That night, Emily put on a dinner for the two of them. Paige had to run some errands that afternoon, so Emily made her favourite Thai chicken salad. Just before Paige came home Emily laid out some candles around the dinner table, put on some soft music, and dimmed the lights.

When Paige came home she looked in wonder as she stepped through the door.

"What's the occasion?" she asked.

"We are celebrating your incredible achievement," Emily explained.

She sat Paige down and poured her a glass of champagne. Emily then held up her own.

"To the new state champion," she said.

Paige looked a little embarrassed.

"And to being together," Emily added.

Paige looked beautiful by the candlelight. She always did, but the flicker of the light, the play of dark and shadow, somehow captured the warmth and softness of her face. Emily looked into her girlfriend's eyes, and for a moment all she could see was the love she had for Paige, and the love Paige returned in kind. They still had so many things to work out, but in that instant none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they loved each other.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** The grand finale. I hope you like it.

* * *

The night before Paige had to fly back to Stanford, Emily kept her promise and took her back to the Cafe.

Emily had wanted to catch up with the others while she was in town. Spencer was in London, but Hanna was back in Rosewood for a few days, leaving Caleb behind in San Jose, so Emily, Paige and Aria had spent the day with her at the Marin's house. With the four of them divided between the two coasts, there was a lot to talk about.

Hanna had settled in well to California. She had been able to finish her fashion course there, and was now looking at starting up her own business. Caleb's income was able to comfortably cover the two of them while she did so. Aria had picked up work as a photographer for a media agency, and while she was doing that her personal works were starting to find places at local exhibitions.

They both wanted to hear all about Paige's experiences at Stanford.

"So will you be in the Olympics?" Hanna asked.

"I'll have to work very hard," Paige replied. "If I can keep improving my times I'll be in with a chance, though."

"Oh wow!" Hanna exclaimed. "You can get us free tickets!"

"It doesn't work that way," Emily explained.

"And you'll be an Olympian's girlfriend," Hanna added, enthusiastically and innocently. Emily winced a little.

"Hanna!" Aria snapped under her breath.

"It's OK," Emily assured her. "I've got too far to go this time, but if Paige makes it I'll be there in the stands cheering her on."

"Hey, we all will be," Aria agreed.

Emily rang to make an appointment for dinner, but Vicki assured her that she didn't need one, given that it was a Wednesday night. After that they all climbed into the car and set off for Danby, their conversation only occasionally interrupted by Hanna singing along with the car radio.

When they arrived Vicki gave her usual enthusiastic greeting, and as expected they had the place to themselves. Vicki was pleased to see Paige again, and also some more of Emily's friends. There was a lot of relaxed small talk as Emily introduced everyone. As they spoke, Emily studied Vicki's face, but saw no hint of sadness, despite their last conversation.

When it came time to order, Hanna was very excited to see burgers on the menu. Aria was unimpressed, but Vicki assured Hanna that the cheeseburger was a house specialty.

They ate, they drank, they talked. Occasionally Vicki came over, often prompted by a question, or to just check on how they were going. Aria asked Vicki about New Zealand, Hanna asked Vicki whether all Singaporean restaurants had burgers, and Vicki asked Paige about Stanford, and coping with long distance relationships.

Later that night Lin arrived. She made for the corner as usual, but Vicki brought her over to meet everyone. As soon as Lin mentioned she was in the wrestling team at Danby, Hanna's ears picked up.

"Do you wear a mask?" she asked, with obvious excitement in her voice.

"It's not that kind of wrestling, Hanna," Aria said. Emily just rolled her eyes.

"They don't let you," Lin replied in mock disappointment. "Or a cape."

"You should have, like, a wrestling name," Hanna suggested.

"Yeah!" Lin responded. "I could be The Amazing Lezbo!"

Lin and Hanna were both laughing hysterically by this point. Hanna was offering to help design Lin's outfit, with Lin suggesting she could wear a white tank top, hot pants and a plaid cape.

Aria leaned over to Emily.

"I can't believe we've found someone else with Hanna's sense of humor," she whispered.

The evening went on like that, with a lot of laughter and relaxed conversation. By the time they left Hanna had a new best friend.

"When I'm back here next I'll come along and see you in action," she said to Lin as they left. "You need to choose a theme song though."

But somehow Hanna's words just reminded Emily of the uncertainty ahead. Who knew where they would all be the next time Hanna was in Rosewood?

* * *

The next day there was a strange quiet between Emily and Paige. They talked as they usually would while they packed and headed off to the airport, but there was little they could say to capture the feeling of parting ways again.

Everything went smoothly. There was little traffic between Danby and Philly, they found a car park at the airport easily, and there was only the shortest of queues at the check-in.

They therefore found themselves silently sitting in a cafe near the gate, coffees sitting on the table in front of them, with a hour to spare. And as they sat Emily started to cry. At first it was just a few tears, but soon they were streaming down her face. She didn't know why, but they came.

"Hey, Em," Paige gently said, as she wiped Emily's face with a tissue. "Why don't we go to the bathroom?"

They picked up their things and soon found some privacy.

Standing in front of the basins, Emily was trying to compose herself.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so stupid."

"No, no," Paige insisted. "I understand."

"I thought I was OK with this," Emily added.

"It's not forever, remember?" Paige gently reassured her.

Paige took Emily in her arms and tenderly kissed her. Emily smiled a little and just gazed at Paige for a moment, but she was still crying.

"It's OK," Paige said. "We've got plenty of time."

Emily leaned forward and kissed Paige again, but this time she held the kiss. She could feel Paige shifting a little nervously, and in a moment Paige pulled away.

"Um, that's not quite what I meant," she said.

Emily just held her closer, and soon they were kissing again. An announcement filled the room, but it was for another flight, and theirs was some time off. Somehow the emotions Emily was feeling overwhelmed her sense of caution. She kissed Paige harder, opening her mouth a little and caressing Paige's lips with her tongue. She felt a flick of Paige's tongue against her own.

She heard voices from outside and her heart raced. The two of them stopped kissing for a moment, but the voices passed.

"Ah, Em," Paige said, but didn't go any further.

Emily looked over to the nearest cubicle, and they both went inside and locked the door. Emily grabbed Paige again and kissed her, pushing her hard up against the wall. Soon she was undoing the button on Paige's jeans, moving her hand down, inside her girlfriend's underwear.

Emily could feel that Paige was wet, so she began teasing Paige with her finger, stroking her slowly, then building up the tempo as she felt Paige's body tense up. Paige's jeans were tight and Emily had to adjust her position to reach further in, but now she was able to slip a finger inside her lover.

Paige gasped.

"Shhh," Emily whispered playfully. "We don't want anyone hearing."

Paige braced herself with one arm against the door and the other against the toilet roll holder.

Emily kept going, kneading her girlfriend and now pushing two fingers into her. Paige made a series of stifled cries as she did, which just made Emily go harder. Emily could see that look on Paige's face. She knew she was almost there.

Paige's legs started shaking, and Emily clasped her hand over Paige's mouth just as Paige let out an involuntary scream. Emily kept going though, as Paige rode the waves of pleasure flowing through her. All Emily could think of was how beautiful Paige was.

As Paige's body started to slow down and relax Emily realized she was crying again, but it didn't matter. She took her hand out from Paige's jeans and they hugged silently for a moment.

After a short moment adjusting their clothes, Emily and Paige emerged just as a group of women entered the room. There was nothing for Emily and Paige to do except wash their hands and leave, ignoring the looks they were getting.

The two of them returned to their table, but their coffees had been cleared away, so they proceeded to the waiting area at the gate and sat, silently grinning at each other. This lasted until the call was made to board the flight.

The both stood, and shared a final goodbye kiss. Paige promised they would see each other soon, and Emily agreed it would all be fine. She felt a little guilty that she was so fixated on her own sadness that she wasn't even thinking how Paige was feeling, how she planned on coping with the loneliness. She knew it was no use asking Paige now though, as she would just say she was fine.

As Emily watched Paige go, a thought came into her mind, unbidden. She still didn't know how their relationship was going to work, or how she was going to cope. She only knew that she had to, because she still wanted to be with Paige more than anything.

* * *

The next couple of weeks were fairly quiet. Classes hadn't started, so Emily spent most of her time back in Rosewood with her parents. It was both strange and familiar being there again. Her dad arrived back for the second week, making her stay even more worthwhile.

As happy as she was to be out of Rosewood, Emily did appreciate her parents, and spending time with them gave her a feeling of contentment she hadn't expected.

While she was there time seemed to slow down. Without the constant schedules of study, work and training, life seemed freer, but a little aimless, and as much of a relief as it was, Emily knew she would soon become restless if she stayed too long. Her mother was always busy, which rubbed off on Emily a little. Emily was also able to organize to use the Rosewood High pool for her regular practice. She felt a little nostalgia for the place, though being there always put her slightly on edge.

And in some of those quiet moments back in Rosewood, she thought about Paige. It wasn't as if anything was wrong with their relationship, in fact Emily could see they had done very well. There was nothing particular to be changed or fixed, it was just hard. That was it. It was hard being away from Paige so much of the time. She just had to get through it.

Soon it was time to go back to Danby. Classes began, and Emily was back into her routine. She spent time with her friends, especially Lakhsmi and Robin, who wanted to know all the news from Rosewood, and all about how Paige was doing. In between all this she spent a lot of time on the phone, with Paige, of course, but also Hanna, Spencer and Aria. She saw Spencer and Aria when she could on weekends, and kept in touch with what they were up to.

Increasingly, though, the lives of her old friends, the people she cared about, were stories she heard, not experiences she shared. It was very different to school days.

She also kept up her regular visits to Bob's New Cafe. She would go most weeks, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday, and as often as not she would eat there and catch up with Vicki, and Lin if she was there. They would talk about whatever was happening in their lives. Vicki would always ask about Paige and how she was going. She would always say how nice Paige was, and how happy she was for the two of them.

Lin was an avid conversationalist. She had decided her career path would be as a cryptologist, and every time Emily saw her she had some new nugget of information she had discovered about the field. She would also share her passion for murder mysteries, punk music, archeology, which she seemed to have read a new book about each visit, and of course, her wrestling.

Emily knew the time was approaching for Vicki to return to New Zealand, and occasionally Emily would ask if she had any plans.

"No," Vicki would reply, her smile now slightly strained. "We're still looking at things, though."

Emily was starting to worry. They were such a happy couple, but Emily knew how hard it was to maintain a relationship across one country, let alone the other side of the world. Paige would sometimes ask as well. Emily would just tell here there was no news, and they would both agree it was a shame.

One night was different though. Emily could tell as soon as she walked in. Vicki just seemed… It was hard to tell, since she was always smiling, but there was a genuine joy about her that night which had been missing for a while. She was serving another customer when Emily arrived, so Emily had to wait a while and wonder. Once it was her turn and she had ordered, she had to ask.

"You're looking happy tonight," Emily noted. "Is there something in particular?"

"Lin can come and study in New Zealand," Vicki replied, nodding vigorously. "She can do it. Danby has an agreement with the University of Auckland and Lin can do two years of her degree there."

"That's wonderful news!" Emily exclaimed.

"It's such a blessing," Vicki agreed. "She's even got a wrestling coach lined up so she can keep training and competing."

"So are you from Auckland?" Emily asked.

"No, Wellington, but I can move," Vicki replied. "Lin will have to come back to the States for her final year, but we'll make it."

"What about after that?" Emily asked.

"We're not sure," Vicki replied. "I should have my degree by then, so I could come over here, or Lin might be able to come back to New Zealand. We'll have to see, but whatever it takes, we can make it."

Emily felt almost as good as if it were her, as if she and Paige could be together again. She could see the uncertainty they would still face, but Vicki looked so determined, so adamant, that Emily couldn't imagine them giving up.

* * *

After all the waiting it came around quickly. Not long after Vicki had told Emily the news, she and Lin had a farewell party before they left for New Zealand. It was at a friend's house around the corner from the Cafe, and when Emily arrived it was filled with people. Some of them Emily recognized from the regular diners she had seen, but most she didn't know.

"Emily!" Vicki called out as Emily arrived.

Vicki came over with open arms and hugged her. It struck Emily that this was the first time they had hugged in their friendship, but then it was also the first time she had met Vicki outside of her place of work.

Lin appeared and gave Emily a hug too.

"Your friends couldn't make it?" Vicki asked

"No, unfortnately," Emily replied. "Hanna is over in San Jose, Aria has an assignment in New York, Robin has a cold, Amber is on tour with her team at some college competition, and Lakhsmi went along to support her."

"Oh well, let me introduce you to everyone," Vicki suggested.

Emily soon lost track of names, but she did finally get to meet Vicki's Uncle Robert, who gave his name to the Cafe. He was a quiet, graceful man with silver hair and a smile like his niece's, and the two of them talked for a while, about the Cafe, his favorite recipes, and how proud he was of Vicki.

Emily spoke with a number of other people, but Vicki herself was so in demand that Emily saw little of her. Emily did spend some time with Lin, however.

"How are you feeling about leaving?" Emily asked.

"Shitting myself," Lin replied cheerfully. "But stoked too."

"It will be different there," Emily commented.

"Yeah, I've been practicing my kiwi," Lin replied. "If you like something you say 'Choice, bro', 'chocka' means full, they wear flip-flops a lot and call them 'jandals', and you put 'eh' on the end of everything."

"Did Vicki tell you these?" Emily asked.

"Nah, google," Lin replied.

They spoke for a while longer, mostly about Lin's new coach she would be training with once she got there. After that they got on to the practicalities of life in a new country.

"So will you be able to work while you study?" Emily asked.

"A little, but I can't do too many hours because of my visa," Lin explained.

"What about fees?" Emily asked.

"Most of them are covered because of the agreement with Danby," Lin responded. "I'll need health insurance and stuff though. Vicki thinks I don't know this, but her parents have actually paid some of the expenses."

"Wow, they must like you," Emily said.

"I've never even met them, but they've been so generous," Lin explained. "I guess that's where she gets it from."

"Do you have somewhere to stay yet?" Emily asked.

"For a little while, then we'll need to find a place to rent," Lin answered.

"It sounds like you've got things planned, though," Emily observed.

"It won't be easy," Lin said. "But, shit, it'll be worth it. It's a big deal, like really frickin' big, but I mean, love, you know."

"You two seem so happy together," Emily agreed.

"Well, when you love someone you do anything," Lin said. "You know what that's like, don't you?"

Lin said it so casually, like it barely needed saying. But as she heard the words, Emily knew they were true. When you love someone you do anything. Emily knew what that was like. She knew exactly what that was like.

The rest of the night passed in a succession of words and faces. Emily finally got to talk to Vicki only as she was leaving. She hugged Vicki again, and wished her well. Vicki thanks her for all her support, though Emily didn't feel like she had done much. Then Emily hugged Lin. They all promised to keep in touch, and Vicki gave Emily her email address. Once they had settled in over there then maybe they could skype. Emily knew that they would be busy, but she felt like they meant it.

Then with a final farewell Emily stepped out into the night and headed back to her dorm room.

* * *

When Emily got back she sent Paige a text.

"Are you up? Can we skype?"

Lin's words from earlier that night were hanging in the air as Emily waited for the response, which came fairly soon in any case.

"Sure"

In less then a minute Paige was on screen, somewhat bleary-eyed and wearing her pajamas.

"I'm so sorry, were you asleep?" Emily asked.

"I'd just gone to bed but I was still awake," Paige replied. "I was out with Aisha and Claire."

"Sorry," Emily repeated.

"It's fine," Paige assured her. "What's up?"

"I want to ask you something," Emily replied.

"Cool, go ahead," Paige responded.

Emily's heart was racing. She was asking herself if this was an impulse, but she wanted to go through with it more than anything.

"I'm sorry," Emily began. "I haven't prepared anything, I… suppose I should have, but I… I wanted to do this now."

"OK," Paige said, though she clearly had no idea what Emily was talking about.

"It's just that… I was at Vicki and Lin's farewell tonight and I was talking with them, and just, I don't know, their story…" Emily voice trailed off. She was making no sense.

Paige just sat silently.

"Sorry, I'll try again," Emily began. "Seeing Vicki and Lin, and how well it's worked out for them, and how much they love each other, it just… made me think of how much I love you, and how much I want to be with you."

"Em, we tried, but it's only another couple of years and we'll be together," Paige said reassuringly. "We can do this."

"I know," Emily agreed. "It's not that. We'll get through the next two years, like we've been making it through so far. That's not what I'm thinking of. I'm thinking of after that, long after that."

Emily could feel her breath quickening. She was so nervous about what she was about to say, but she kept going.

"We've been through a lot, but we've always made it," Emily explained. "I know we've had troubles, but looking back now I can see you've been the constant in my life, whatever happens. And I know what I want now. I want to be with you… for the rest of my life."

Paige's eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Em…" she began, but no more words came out.

"Paige McCullers, will you marry me?" Emily asked.

"Oh my God, Em, _yes_!" Paige exclaimed. "Yes, yes, I will."

Emily was crying now. She wanted to hug Paige more than anything, but all she could do was place her hand on the screen. Paige did the same. They were both crying now, as they gazed at each other through their computer screens, over a distance that now seemed to mean nothing. They were together, and always would be.

"Thank you," Emily whispered. "Thank you."

So much in Emily's life had been difficult, but this was clear, this was simple. She loved Paige, and she always would.

* * *

_Hi Vicki,_

_How are things over in NZ? Are you and Lin settling in OK? You must be so excited, and I guess it would be nice for you to be back home. I hope Lin isn't too homesick, though I suppose you'll be able to comfort her. ;)_

_Seriously though, I am so happy for the two of you._

_I've been back to the cafe a couple of times since you left. I still go every week, though it's strange there now without you. _

_I'm not just writing to check in, though. As it turns out, I have some very happy news to tell you. I wish I could tell you in person, but email will have to do as I really want to let you know._

_OK…_

_Here it is…_

_Paige and I are engaged! I proposed to her after your farewell, and she said yes! I think your romantic story inspired me! :D_

_We don't know when the wedding will be, and there is still so much to organize (weddings are complicated!) but we're so excited. We will send you both invitations, though we will understand if you can't make it (but if you do know when you might be in the States let us know - we would love to have you)._

_Anyway, I hope you're both happy and have a great time. Paige sends her love too!_

_Best wishes and lots of love,_

_Emily_


End file.
